As we start 2022 I would like to wish all of our valued members, industry stakeholders and staff the very best for the coming year. We have all had to manage almost two years marked with disruption, change and new and unique challenges.
And while our economy is still on shaky ground, it is positive that Credit agency Fitch Ratings has revised its long-term outlook for South Africa from negative to stable. We will need to await the Budget speech to see if the other three major rating companies, will revise their junk rating status for the coming year.
I have continually reiterated how proud I am of the way the RMI has managed to stay so focused and performed so exceptionally well in spite of all the challenges. We are definitely in a stronger position than we were last year but once again believe more disruption is still to come as we battle through the fourth wave of the pandemic and the vaccinations rate remains low. I remind you that as business owners we need to remain calm, conserve energy and assets and continue to reinvent ourselves.
The last two years have taught us the importance of good communication, of collaboration with peers and colleagues and of the importance of continuing to add value to members. We have to take note of the changes and be ready to learn new things, adapt and innovate to remain relevant and grow. We equally need to be responsible and lead by example. Inspiring our employees and embracing the “human essence” is critical. Your employees and our members are invaluable assets, so we need to take good care of them and play by the rules.
From an RMI perspective, we remain totally committed to serving you, our members. We will continue to guide you and support you in any endeavours to strengthen our industry and our members’ businesses.
I hope you enjoy our first Automobil issue of 2022 (below). Stay safe, stay positive and continue to look after our valuable industry. In a very good book by Phil Knight on NIKE, he spoke about the importance of just carrying on and never giving up. He talks about resilience, the importance of hardwork, how critical a good team is and how invaluable brains and determination are. He also talks about luck, about being humble, and about following one’s passion.
It strikes me that the same rings true for all our members, regardless if one is building a billion dollar shoe business or running an entrepreneurial workshop. The book was a refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like.
